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Friday, August 31, 2012

Have you noticed my fascination with tee shirt transformations lately? I have been doing quite a few of them! Some of my transformations haven't been shown yet, so keep an eye out! Last week I showed you how to turn a plain tee into a cute skirt. If you haven't seen it yet check it out HERE! This was one of my Lucky contributions! You can view those HERE!

I love taking something plain and "boring" and turning it into something fun and unique! This is such a simple way of showing you own sense of style with a touch of flair! Here is my T-Shirt transformation! Check below the picture for a quick how to!

How To:

1) Grab a plain t-shirt.
2) Decide on your design. Hearts, stars, quotes, it's totally up to you!
3) Tape or place your decal where you want the design to be. I decided to do stripes at a slant.
4) Grab your fabric paint. These are really affordable and can be picked up at any craft store.
5) Start painting! I waited about 5 minutes and added a second coat where needed.
6) I wanted to add an anchor, so I put the decal on top of my stripes. I wanted to slant the anchor the way I slanted the stripes.
7) Paint some more!
8) Remove your decals, tape, etc and let your shirt dry for about 4 hours. I waited until the next day.
9) I cut the collar off my shirt to make an off the shoulder style top.
10) Wear it!

How easy was that? I have several more upcoming DIY projects and ton's of great new fashion and style posts! Will you be making your own transformed tee?

I won't lie, I loved this show! I will still watch a re-run if I come across it! Three's Company aired before I was born (not long), and we are still seeing some of the fashion trends of Chrissy, Jack, and Janet today!

I decided to put together three modern day looks based on the characters! Check out this fun take on those unforgettable fashion trends! This is the modern day Three's Company!

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

I have too many clothes! What can I say, I love to shop! This is probably true for most of us! I am a huge fan of bargain shopping, so I won't sit here and tell you I paid a fortune for my massive wardrobe!

Since I've been working from home I haven't been getting all dolled up like I used to. I won't lie, sometimes I really miss it! I could still get really "dressed" if I wanted, but I don't really see the point. Why am I going to go all out with the clothes, accessories, makeup, and hair if I am working here at home? Half the time the only ones who see me are my family!

I do miss it...the feeling of looking your best I mean. I do get kind of bummed out sitting here in yoga shorts and a tank at times. I thought to myself today while I was organizing this massive mess I call my closet that I need to make a change! Who cares who sees me? I might not have to get completely fixed up, but looking good for myself is important! If being "put together" helps you feel good about yourself then do it. I still say there is no reason to be dressed to the nines, but a little effort can't hurt!

I am also one of those people who don't really have a problem getting rid of things. My mother, however, seems to be on the opposite side of this. She keeps everything. She has clothes that she hasn't worn in twenty plus years! I tend to get rid of things if I haven't worn them in about six months to a year at the most.

I will be doing a post on cleaning out your closet or the "Closet Cleanse" soon! There will be some great tips in the post along with great ways to get organized and possibly make some money while you are at it!

I also just opened a Copious account that I will be adding listings to over the next week or as soon as time permits! You can follow me and check out my items up for sale HERE! Everything will be very reasonably priced and will range in a large variety of sizes! Remember, I still have tons of items leftover from my Consignment Boutique!

If you are looking for anything in particular let me know via comment, fb, twitter, or email.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

My husband and I found this old dresser, and I had the bright idea to grab it! It was free, and you can't beat that! The dresser needed some work, so we decided to use what we already had on hand and see what we could do. Total cost for this dresser and the revamp : Zero!

This was a great sturdy wood piece, but needed some work! One of the drawers was out and in pieces. This was an older piece and also needed some updating!

I really didn't like the drawer pulls, so I knew those had to go!

There were a few dings scratches that we filled in with wood putty. If you ever need to fix wood this stuff is great. You can pick it up at any hardware store or Walmart. It's very affordable!

We took out all the drawers and prepared to sand down the places that needed repair.

Then my husband put the broken drawer back together!

We had some flat black paint so decided to go with that just to see how things would turn out.

After we had a matte finish dresser I wanted to add a little bit of flair! I used one of my stencils and some gloss black paint to add detail!

Now time to add the hardware! These are chrome fixtures, but unfortunately didn't turn out too great in the picture! We lost the daylight so finished inside!

This was a fun project and we now have more clothes storage! We can always use that!

Monday, August 27, 2012

I am making a few changes for myself and my family! As a mother it is my job to protect my children to the best of my ability! That is very important to me. I always what what is best for them! Here are a few things that have made me make the decision I am about to tell you.

Wednesday was my son's first day back to school. He is in third grade at a local elementary school. The school seems to have gone down hill and I was questioning that over the summer, but didn't want to jump to any conclusions.

Evan (my son) came home from school upset on Wednesday. I asked him what was wrong, but he didn't want to talk about it yet. Sometimes we need to give him time and he always tells us when he is ready. We found out the next morning that he was bullied in the hallway. Another child said some terrible things to him, made threats, and called him a b**ch. These children are 8! Why is that word even in their vocabulary!

I immediately contacted the school. Evan told us he went to a teacher and explained the situation. We spoke with the office too. Friday I went to pick him up and didn't see him at first. A few minutes later he walked out with a teacher and the principal. His face was red and puffy, and he was crying. The teacher looked at me and said " Your son was attacked". (Actual words she used.) I was in shock!

The child that made the threats to my son snuck up behind him and when Evan turned around the child punched him in the face several times. The teacher said she saw what happened and says that it came from nowhere.

While we were talking the child tried to cross the street again and come back to where my son was standing, but the principal told him to leave. Again these children are in third grade! The teacher said she wasn't sure what would happen to the "bully", but that they would do what they could.

I was furious about the situation because not only did my son explain what happened the first day, but we spoke with the office on the second day! They asked us to let them rectify the situation and give them a chance. I told them they had two chances before this got physical! This is not ok at all!

There is no reason an eight year old child needs to feel threatened to go to school. What is wrong with schools these days? Are parents not teaching their children right from wrong? Where are their morals? I raised my children to be loving and not violent!

I was contacted later that evening about the other child, and from what I understand he won't be there for a few days. The teacher suggested that I walk my child into class every morning, and that she can escort him outside and through the halls during the day. What? That will only cause further problems and possible ridicule from other students making the situation worse. He would go from having one bully to being put down by everyone.

Evan is not a wimpy child. He is very loving, caring, and kind. My son has a good heart and many friends, so when this happened it was a shock. This made me realize that my thoughts about the school were right. It is not somewhere I want my child!

Bullying is serious. I didn't really think about it too much until this happened. I also didn't think about it occurring at such a young age. This is where it starts. It starts when no one does anything to stop or prevent these young children from acting this way. If you don't teach a child when they are young they will continue on this downward path. Something needs to be done!

I am in the process of completing the papers to home school my son. I work from home and feel that it is in his best interest at this point to teach him in a safe environment where he can focus on education and learning, not getting attacked. I am also planning to start an organization for these young children to prevent this type of behavior from being repeated.

I have heard negative and positive remarks about my decision to take him out of the school, but I know what is best for my child and my family. This is what needs to be done. We are working on several changes right now, but this is my first step. I will keep you all informed at all the plans we have in store!

Sunday, August 26, 2012

We all had a crazy busy week! Here were a few quick photos I took! More about our week and all that happened to come! We are all going to be making several changes soon! I know they are all for the best. I hope everyone had a wonderful week and weekend!

Saturday, August 25, 2012

I really didn't know what this was to be honest with you! I was nominated by a fellow blogger at http://xmissxmaryxemm.blogspot.com. I did a little research and here's what I found out...The Leibster Award has several variations around the Internet. One of the original posts from 2010 say that this award is for bloggers with under 3000 followers. The current says under 200. That seems like a huge difference to me! I am still thrilled to be nominated thanks to Mary! I will be following the current guidelines for the award. The rules are: *Each person must post eleven things about themselves.

* Answer the eleven
questions the tagger has set for you.

*Choose eleven people
and tag them in this post.

*Follow the tagger
and visit at least three nominees.

*Make sure to post the link to the person who nominated you.

So here we go...

My 11 Things:

1) I am a mother of two amazing boys who sometimes drive me nuts!
2) I love finding projects to do and decorating.
3) I was adopted.
4) I love elephants!
5) I drink way too much coffee at times.
6) Pink is my favorite color, but not for decorating!
7) I have written in a journal (not the same one) since I was 13. Without writing I would go nuts!
8) I love experimenting with makeup and nail colors!
9) I think shopping should be a sport because I would be amazing at it.
10) I love to read.
11) I am married to the sweetest guy ever!

I am so ready for Summer to be over! I think I have had enough of this crazy Charleston heat and humidity! Fall is just around the corner and I'm ready for a change! Here are a few of my fall finds that I am looking forward to trying out!

Friday, August 24, 2012

I've been doing a ton of projects lately and wanted to share this one with you!
For this I used a plain gray t-shirt and transformed it to a skirt! Check out the before and after picture then follow the easy directions to make your own!

T-Shirt Refashion by flairbybrandi featuring silk scarvesDIRECTIONS and SUPPLIES:For this project you will need: * An Old or New T-Shirt slightly oversized*Scissors*Needle/Thread, Sewing Machine, or Double Sided Fabric Tape (the fabric tape is just like sewing!)*Scarf, Ribbon, or beltSuper easy directions:1) Cut the top of the t-shirt across the sleeve area and slightly up at an angle as pictured above.2) Once your shirt is cut fold down 2 times in 1-2 in sections.3) After your shirt is folded there will be an upside down "V" on both sides of the actual shirt hem.4) Sew or use iron on fabric bond to hem the bottom of the fold across the front and back. Leave the sides where the "V" is open.5) Take a scarf, ribbon, or belt and feed through the "V" sections until they meet on one side.6) Put on your new skirt and tie or fasten your belt!That's it! How easy was that? This project took under 30 minutes and didn't cost me a penny! I hope you enjoyed this DIY! Let me know how yours turns out!

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Wall decals are a quick and easy way to decorate a room! These are also a great way to add style without having to paint or hang pictures!

Decals come in a large variety of styles, shapes, and sizes. They can range from a tiny detail to a large mural that will cover your entire wall. This decorating option can get pricey if you decided to cover your wall, but the smaller sizes tend to be very affordable. I really love the newer 3-D style decals! This style offers many fun options for every space in your house!

Here are a few examples of flat and 3-D decal decor!

THE DIY!

I thought it would be fun to see if I could make a quick and easy 3-D wall decal. This project was quick, easy, and fun! Here's what you need for this project:

*Small wooden letters (Any craft store will have a bag for about $5.00)

*Glue

*Xacto Knife or Scissors

*Paint

*Transparent Contact Paper

1) Paint your wooden letters in any color you decide. I used a black acrylic paint because I had it on hand. Any paint will work fine. Then let your paint dry. Since the letters were small and this was an unfinished wood surface the dry time wasn't long!

2) Once your letters are dry glue them to the contact paper. You will want to lay a piece of the contact paper on a flat surface and glue your letters to the clear side. Keep your backing on the paper for this step!

3) Let your glue set. I watched a movie with my husband while the glue dried! Dry time shouldn't take long! Once the glue is dry take scissors or your Xacto knife and cut your word out of the paper.I cut fairly close to the letters. You won't have to cut too close because the contact paper is transparent. You are going to want to leave enough contact paper so it will bond to your surface!

4) Make sure your wall is clean and dry, then peel your backing off your decal and place it where you have decided. Press firmly and smooth any of the extra contact paper on the surface. You want to make sure it is smooth and without bubbles. This helps it stay on the surface and will prevent it from falling off!

That's it! You're all done! See, it was super easy and fun! Now that I know this idea will work I can have fun with it! I am now working on several other fun decal projects and will post those soon! Let me know how yours turn out! Send me a picture in my comments section so I can see your finished projects!

Meet Brandi...

Style, beauty, and lifestyle blogger. This blog will cover everything from fashion and beauty to DIY projects and lifestyle posts! Thanks for visiting and I hope you enjoy! Feel free to follow me here and my other sites listed below!